Kelowna realtor hit with hefty fine

KELOWNA – For the third time this year, a Kelowna realtor has been fined by the Real Estate Council of B.C.

Nadine Mary Westgate has agreed that she was guilty of professional misconduct on three counts and will pay a $10,000 fine.

The first charge was for opening a West Kelowna office of Sage Executive Group Real Estate without a licence from the Real Estate Council. It dates back to June 2015 when she applied for the licence from the council for the new branch office.

Westgate’s licence application was denied because it did not include a business licence from the City of West Kelowna.

On March 31, 2016, the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board notified the Council that the office was open, sending a photo of a sign in the window with the company’s name. The branch was also listed on the realtor’s website.

Westgate was notified and provided the proper documentation and was issued a licence from the Real Estate Council in April 2016.

In the report on the charges from the Real Estate Council, Westgate said there had been a delay in getting the business licence from the city, the office was not staffed, only available to real estate agents and she admitted the signage and web page information should not have been used.

The other two charges date to November 2016 and July 2017 when she failed to file notices that deposits had not been received.

In addition to the fine and declaration of professional misconduct, Westgate has to take some courses, pay $1,500 in Council expenses and pay for an audit of the brokerage.

Earlier this year, iNFOnews.ca reported on charges against realtors A.J. Hazzi and Marlene Braun.

The way the Council works, once a charge is made, the accused can propose a settlement agreement rather than attend what can be an expensive hearing in Vancouver.

Braun lashed out against the council in a video, saying it’s cheaper to pay a fine and agree to have committed professional misconduct than to fight the charges.

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